The present invention relates generally to athletic equipment and more specifically to a portable pitching rubber for training and sporting activities, such as softball, baseball and other sports, which may be firmly but removably mounted to a variety of surfaces, including artificial or synthetic surfaces such as artificial turf, carpeting and matting, but may be easily moved from place to place without damaging the surfaces or any underlying substrates.
Certain indoor and outdoor training and sporting exercises require the use of a designated area for a person to deliver (e.g., pitch, throw, kick) a ball or other similar object to another person. For example, pitching mounds are a traditional part of the games of baseball, and a pitching rubber is typically mounted at generally the center portion of the pitching mound. Similarly, softball utilizes a pitching circle in which a pitching rubber is typically mounted at generally the center portion of the circle. Traditionally, pitching rubbers have been designed to be stationarily mounted to a surface so that a pitcher can push off the rubber when throwing the ball to a batter. If appropriately designed and used, these devices can also promote the development of proper pitching fundamentals.
A pitching rubber is typically made of a hard rubber material of elongated rectangular shape, and in accordance with the rules of the games, the pitcher must be in contact with the pitching rubber while throwing, e.g., a baseball or softball. While U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,653 of Wright describes some differences between baseball and softball as they relate to pitching technique and pitching mounds, pitching rubbers in both sports are typically similar in size, shape and material. In both baseball and softball, pitching rubbers are subjected to a high degree of force, notwithstanding that the forces in the two sports are somewhat different due to differences in pitching motion (i.e., wind-up). As a result, a pitching rubber must be secured to, for example, a pitching mound or some other surface in order to prevent the rubber from moving during each pitch sequence.
Traditionally, pitching rubbers used for playing baseball outdoors have been secured to pitching mounds by driving relatively large, metal posts or spikes attached to the underside of the rubber a sufficient distance into the ground which forms the pitching mound. As a result, such pitching rubbers are typically not easily removed from the ground and doing so often requires the use of tools to force the posts out of ground. Such rubbers also cannot be used effectively indoors without providing a sufficient amount of ground material (e.g., soil, sand, dirt) so that the posts can be hammered into the material to secure the rubber.
Several pitching rubbers have been patented including, for example, the pitching rubber described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,357 of Barnum. The Barnum pitching rubber has flanges secured at each end of the rubber for receiving a post. As is the case with other known pitching rubbers having posts or large spikes, the post of the Barnum pitching rubber must be driven or pounded into the ground to secure the pitching rubber in place and be pried out of the ground to remove and relocate the rubber.
Similarly, Bartoli also describes pitching rubbers in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,769,745, 5,827,140 and 5,919,103. The Bartoli pitching rubbers include a metal plate secured to the rubber surface, a post extending from the plate for inserting into a ground anchor, and a pair of spikes also extending from the plate to prevent movement of the outer edges of the pitching rubber. Also, a principal feature of the Bartoli pitching rubbers is the provision of having a stationary mounting portion and a removable portion such that the pitching rubber assembly can be mounted at various pitching distances to accommodate different game requirements.
While athletes, including baseball and softball pitchers, often train indoors, the use of traditional outdoor pitching rubbers is often impossible and, at best, difficult and inconvenient. Many known pitching rubbers cannot be mounted or otherwise attached to most indoor surfaces, including artificial or synthetic surfaces. While it may be possible to remove the metal posts from traditional pitching rubbers in order to use them inside, doing so requires using some attaching means (e.g., tape, glue, etc.) so that the rubber does not move during pitch deliveries. While doing so could be considered marginally effective, this type of training can lead to problems, including injuries to athletes and the development of poor pitching technique, as pitching rubbers which are not adequately secured to a surface have a tendency to shift or move.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0181269 A1 of Griffin describes a portable pitching rubber for indoor use. The Griffin pitching rubber comprises a plurality of suction devices for securing the rubber to hard, smooth surfaces, such as hardwood, concrete and tile flooring. However, the pitching rubber of Griffin is ineffective when the suction devices are unable to secure the rubber to an underlying surface, including surfaces which are not hard and/or smooth, such that the rubber is prevented from moving or slipping during a pitch sequence.